Constant Lighting or Flash For Portraiture?

Tom Potter

Hi There,

What is the preferred (professional) method of shooting portraiture: using Constant Lighting or Flash?

Thanks,

Tom

ziggy53

I greatly prefer electronic flash; compact speedlites/speedlights for faster setup and portability, studio monolights for power and generally greater light modifier flexibility.

Using flash lighting yields larger eye pupils, which most folks find more flattering in a portrait.

Daylight balanced compact fluorescent are OK now for objects that don't require tight color balance, but I don't think they are quite ready for most portraiture or other applications which require more subtle and accurate tonality. The reason is that inexpensive daylight balanced compact fluorescent phosphors are still not a complete continuous spectra.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lights#Phosphors_and_the_spectrum_of_emitted_light

LED lighting is also incomplete. Typical "white" LED spectrum (Note the spikes and gaps):

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Red-YellowGreen-Blue_LED_spectra.png

Compare this to a true daylight spectra:

http://www.ledmuseum.candlepower.us/ninth/sun1.gif

Compact fluorescent lights also have a flicker rate to contend with, although the newer units based on electronic ballasts are a high enough rate that it is pretty much a non-issue in most cases.

I would reserve fluorescent lights to certain product lighting, rim/hair lights and possibly background lighting where color accuracy is not normally a problem.

BTW, I keep forgetting to mention that compact fluorescent lights are difficult to modulate or control the output. It's typically all or nothing, with scrims and diffusers and barn doors as typical modulators, but no where near the flexibility of most monolights.

---

If you must use a continuous form of lighting for portraiture, I strongly suggest HMI lights. Terribly expensive and worth every penny. Hollywood movie projects tend to use these lights.

Tom Potter

Cool Ziggy - Thanks for the detailed info! :O)

A follow-up please.....

Prior to being aware there existed such a thing as shooting flash TTL vs manual, I had purchased two Nikon SB-700 Speedlights (TTL). I am going to get into portrait and real estate photography. I am going to wind up owning 3 - 5 flashes. My understanding is that shooting flash on the manual setting is the "pro" way to go. I am aware there is a learning curve for this vs shooting TTL. I also realize there are times I will want to shoot TTL.

Flash is a new subject for me, so I am not clear on a lot of things. However, I am reading a lot on the subject. If I am shooting, say, either a portrait or a home interior, with 4 flashes, for example, does it matter if one of those flashes is TTL and the rest are manual? If I want to shoot manual, should I simply set the TTL-capable flash to manual as well? Is there some link you can point me to that will clear up my confusion in this area?

Very much appreciate your help! :O)

ziggy53 wrote: »

I greatly prefer electronic flash; compact speedlites/speedlights for faster setup and portability, studio monolights for power and generally greater light modifier flexibility.

Using flash lighting yields larger eye pupils, which most folks find more flattering in a portrait.

Daylight balanced compact fluorescent are OK now for objects that don't require tight color balance, but I don't think they are quite ready for most portraiture or other applications which require more subtle and accurate tonality. The reason is that inexpensive daylight balanced compact fluorescent phosphors are still not a complete continuous spectra.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lights#Phosphors_and_the_spectrum_of_emitted_light

LED lighting is also incomplete. Typical "white" LED spectrum (Note the spikes and gaps):

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Red-YellowGreen-Blue_LED_spectra.png

Compare this to a true daylight spectra:

http://www.ledmuseum.candlepower.us/ninth/sun1.gif

Compact fluorescent lights also have a flicker rate to contend with, although the newer units based on electronic ballasts are a high enough rate that it is pretty much a non-issue in most cases.

I would reserve fluorescent lights to certain product lighting, rim/hair lights and possibly background lighting where color accuracy is not normally a problem.

BTW, I keep forgetting to mention that compact fluorescent lights are difficult to modulate or control the output. It's typically all or nothing, with scrims and diffusers and barn doors as typical modulators, but no where near the flexibility of most monolights.

---

If you must use a continuous form of lighting for portraiture, I strongly suggest HMI lights. Terribly expensive and worth every penny. Hollywood movie projects tend to use these lights.

ziggy53

I use different approaches to lighting depending on the scene, the lighting intent, the time allowed and the overall "vision" for the shot.

I tend to use monolight studio strobes when I have time, for the key and fill lights. These are almost always modified with softboxes, umbrellas (reflected or shoot-through) and/or Photek Softlighter II 60". Sometimes they are modified with bounce flash if a wall and/or ceiling allows. I only have manual monolights, so I set them up with some combination of empirical testing and flash metering. I also only have 2 - 1800 WS monolights, so I generally add some manually controlled compact flashes as well.

When I'm pressed for time and/or space, I tend to go with compact speedlights/speedlites. These are either set to manual or set to TTL, depending on the level of automation I feel the scene requires and time permits. If I am moving rapidly from site to site or if the subject matter is on the move, TTL is often welcome.

I also have a number of handle-bracket battery powered flashes. I tend to use these for background illumination, rim lights, etc.

---

I use 3 - different types of RF wireless flash trigger sets, sometimes mixing and matching:

RF-616 / RD-616 Transmitter/Receiver set. These are simple radio triggers with a corded 1/4" plug to work with the monolights. There are also have additional cords which can connect to various speedlites too. No automation, just triggers for manual and auto thyrister flashes. 16 channels. Only reliable to 1/100th sec sync speed (in my experience).

---

PT-16 GY NE series 16 Channel Transmitter/Receiver set. Another simple set but these are designed for speedlight/speedlite use in manual mode. The receiver has a hotshoe to hold and trigger the flash and the receiver can screw directly onto a 1/4" tripod head or appropriate umbrella bracket stud.

---

Yongnuo YN622C-TX Transmitter (Canon EOS), YN622C Transceiver set. This is much nicer than I originally thought it might be. The YN622C-TX Transmitter simplifies and speeds setup, and has a very nice AF-Assist light pattern.

The YN622C Transceiver works great in Receiver mode and can also be used as a Transmitter if needed. It can work as a remote camera trigger, using the proper cord.

Both are available in a Nikon compatible version, which I also have to support a Nikon system. Usage is very similar for either Canon or Nikon compatible system (but they are not cross-compatible).

To support most creative flash speedlight/speedlite systems as well as E-TTL (Canon)/i-TTL (Nikon) flash automation, this is a very complete system. Just add additional Transceivers as needed.

I also use both Canon and Nikon optical wireless flash occasionally. With modern bodies acting as the Commander and many compatible flashes acting as Slave, if you work in a studio environment it works rather well. Conditionally it can also work outside too, but radio sets are more reliable outdoors.

Tom Potter

OK - Thanks again Ziggy! Really appreciate you going into all that detail! :O)

ziggy53 wrote: »

I use different approaches to lighting depending on the scene, the lighting intent, the time allowed and the overall "vision" for the shot.

I tend to use monolight studio strobes when I have time, for the key and fill lights. These are almost always modified with softboxes, umbrellas (reflected or shoot-through) and/or Photek Softlighter II 60". Sometimes they are modified with bounce flash if a wall and/or ceiling allows. I only have manual monolights, so I set them up with some combination of empirical testing and flash metering. I also only have 2 - 1800 WS monolights, so I generally add some manually controlled compact flashes as well.

When I'm pressed for time and/or space, I tend to go with compact speedlights/speedlites. These are either set to manual or set to TTL, depending on the level of automation I feel the scene requires and time permits. If I am moving rapidly from site to site or if the subject matter is on the move, TTL is often welcome.

I also have a number of handle-bracket battery powered flashes. I tend to use these for background illumination, rim lights, etc.

---

I use 3 - different types of RF wireless flash trigger sets, sometimes mixing and matching:

RF-616 / RD-616 Transmitter/Receiver set. These are simple radio triggers with a corded 1/4" plug to work with the monolights. There are also have additional cords which can connect to various speedlites too. No automation, just triggers for manual and auto thyrister flashes. 16 channels. Only reliable to 1/100th sec sync speed (in my experience).

---

PT-16 GY NE series 16 Channel Transmitter/Receiver set. Another simple set but these are designed for speedlight/speedlite use in manual mode. The receiver has a hotshoe to hold and trigger the flash and the receiver can screw directly onto a 1/4" tripod head or appropriate umbrella bracket stud.

---

Yongnuo YN622C-TX Transmitter (Canon EOS), YN622C Transceiver set. This is much nicer than I originally thought it might be. The YN622C-TX Transmitter simplifies and speeds setup, and has a very nice AF-Assist light pattern.

The YN622C Transceiver works great in Receiver mode and can also be used as a Transmitter if needed. It can work as a remote camera trigger, using the proper cord.

Both are available in a Nikon compatible version, which I also have to support a Nikon system. Usage is very similar for either Canon or Nikon compatible system (but they are not cross-compatible).

To support most creative flash speedlight/speedlite systems as well as E-TTL (Canon)/i-TTL (Nikon) flash automation, this is a very complete system. Just add additional Transceivers as needed.

I also use both Canon and Nikon optical wireless flash occasionally. With modern bodies acting as the Commander and many compatible flashes acting as Slave, if you work in a studio environment it works rather well. Conditionally it can also work outside too, but radio sets are more reliable outdoors.

ziggy53

Tom Potter wrote: »

... Prior to being aware there existed such a thing as shooting flash TTL vs manual, I had purchased two Nikon SB-700 Speedlights (TTL). I am going to get into portrait and real estate photography. I am going to wind up owning 3 - 5 flashes. My understanding is that shooting flash on the manual setting is the "pro" way to go. I am aware there is a learning curve for this vs shooting TTL. I also realize there are times I will want to shoot TTL.

Flash is a new subject for me, so I am not clear on a lot of things. However, I am reading a lot on the subject. If I am shooting, say, either a portrait or a home interior, with 4 flashes, for example, does it matter if one of those flashes is TTL and the rest are manual? ...

It's always important to "balance" your lighting according to your intentions for the light. Yes, I do mix and match TTL and manual flash, but conditionally and not always.

Start thinking in terms of Key and Fill first. The key light is the primary source of light for your subject. The fill light keeps the shadow from the key light from being completely black, which is usually desirable. Sometimes I use a simple reflector to provide the fill. Sometimes both an active light and a reflector are required. The point is that the fill light is almost always less than the key light in intensity.

After key and fill come the extra lights like:

Hair and kicker/rim lights. (Also Back lights.)
Catch lights.
Background lights.
etc.

Start with learning "Three-point Lighting" and basic Portrait Lighting setups:

http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/
http://www.sekonic.com/whatisyourspecialty/photographer/articles/the-five-basic-portrait-lighting-setups.aspx

Tom Potter wrote: »

... If I want to shoot manual, should I simply set the TTL-capable flash to manual as well? Is there some link you can point me to that will clear up my confusion in this area? ...

Again, once you understand the concept of 3-point lighting and the ratios involved, you may start to use both manual and TTL technologies as appropriate. Both systems are capable but I do think you should start with all manual.